Ventilated toilet

ABSTRACT

A conventional toilet stool to which is hinged a seat that seals in the down position with the upper rim of the toilet stool. An exhaust vent extending through the toilet seat from the inner lower edge to the outer edge. A flexible hose is detachably connected to the discharge side of the vent. The other end of the flexible hose is connected to the intake side of an exhaust fan. The exhaust fan discharges directly or through a second flexible hose to some exterior location.

lJnited States Patent 1191 Smith 1 51 May 22, 1973 54 VENTILATED TOILET 3,332,089 7/1967 Wilton ..4/213 3,571,824 3/1971 Poister [76'] Inventor il'z g' 'g g g' 3,600,724 8/1971 Stamper ..4 217 [22] Filed: Jan. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 214,669

[52] US. Cl. ..4/72, 4/213, 4/217 [51] Int. Cl. ..E03d 9/04, E03d 11/02, E03d 11/18 [58] Field of Search ..4/217, 213, 72, 83, 4/94, 96,105, 106,133, 136,140

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-Vernon D. Beehler et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A conventional toilet stool to which is hinged a seat that seals in the down position with the upper rim of the toilet stool. An exhaust vent extending through the toilet seat from the inner lower edge to the outer edge. A flexible hose is detachably connected to the discharge side of the vent. The other end of the flexible hose is connected to the intake side of an exhaust fan. The exhaust fan discharges directly or through a second flexible hose to some exterior location.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDNAYZZISIS SHEET 2 BF 2 FlG.-3

FIGn-Z FIG.-6

VENTILATED TOILET The present invention relates to a toilet bowl ventilating assembly and more particularly a toilet bowl ventilating assembly in which air is drawn past the person of the user through a vent and exhaust means and is discharged at some location remote from the toilet.

Previously, considerable difficulty had been experienced in effectively and efficiently removing foul odors from a toilet bowl utilizing sanitary structures for this purpose. These and other disadvantages of the prior art have been overcome according to the present invention.

The vent assembly of the present invention includes a conventional toilet bowl to which there is hingedly mounted a toilet seat. The toilet seat is hinged at its back or rearward side so that when it is in the down configuration, it seals with the upwardly disposed rim of the toilet bowl around substantially the entire circumference of the toilet bowls rim. A vent is provided in the toilet seat extending from the inner, lower edge of the toilet seat in an upwardly, rearwardly, outwardly direction to a location on a side edge of the seat adjacent the hinged side of the seat. The exit side of the vent is so configured that a flexible conduit may be detachably connected to the exit side of the vent in the toilet seat. The inner, lower edge of the toilet seat tapers downwardly and radially outwardly from the innermost periphery of the toilet seat. The inlet of the vent in the toilet seat is in the downwardly, radially, outwardly tapered portion of the inner side of the toilet seat. The flexible conduit extends from its detachable connection with the exhaust side of the vent in the toilet seat to the intake side of an air-moving device. The exhaust side of the air-moving device is designed to discharge directly or through a suitable conduit to a remote location, such as the outside of the building in which the toilet is located. Under the urging of the airmoving device, air is drawn past the body of the person utilizing the toilet, through the vent in the toilet seat into the flexible conduit, through the air-moving device, and is discharged at a predetermined convenient location.

The vent in the toilet seat slopes slightly upwardly so that any water that splashesinto the vent will, under the urging of gravity, fall down into the toilet bowl. The vent angles rearwardly in transversing the toilet seat cover from the inner, lower edge to the outer side edge of the toilet seat so that when the toilet seat is in its raised configuration the flexible conduit may be detached from the exit side of the vent, and a cleaning solution will be poured into and will flow under the urging of gravity downwardly through the vent. A suitable receptacle for receiving the spent cleaning fluid is positioned at the exit side of the vent in place of the detached, flexible conduit.

The lower side of the toilet seat is preferably of a flat configuration so that it will cooperate with the flat upper rim of the toilet bowl so as to seal the toilet seat to the toilet bowl. If desired, a sealing member that is integral with either the rim or the toilet seat may be utilized; however, preferably, the bottom of the toilet seat is of such a configuration and it is so mounted on its hinges that it will fit flush with the upper rim of the toilet bowl. If desired, the bottom of the toilet seat may be composed of a firm, resilient material to facilitate the formation of an effective seal between the rim of the toilet bowl and the bottom of the toilet seat.

By sealing the toilet seat to the toilet bowl, all of the air flowing into the toilet bowl is made to be drawn past the body of the user. This reduces the volume of the air that must be exhausted from the toilet bowl by the airmovingdevice with the consequent reduction in size, weight, and capacity of the flexible conduit and the airmoving device.

The air-moving device is conveniently an exhaust fan, and it is actuated by a manually operated switch. By providing a manually actuated switch, the user of the toilet may elect whether or not to use the ventilating assembly.

In order to accommodate the vent adjacent its rear hinged side, the cross section of the toilet seat is generally wedge-shaped with the thickest part being adjacent the hinged side, and the thinnest part being at the front of the seat.

The commode ventilating assembly, according to this invention, finds particular utility in trailers, campers, and mobile homes where only a limited amount of space is available into which objectionable odors may be dissipated.

In the drawings there is illustrated:

FIG. 1, a perspective view of the vent assembly of the invention mounted on a toilet stool;

FIG. 2, a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, showing the toilet seat in a raised configuration;

FIG. 3, a plan view with the toilet lid closed of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a plan view similar to FIG. 3 with the toilet lid in the raised configuration;

FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view taken along view line 5-5 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6, a bottom plan view of the toilet seat of this invention.

With particular reference to the drawings, toilet stool is provided with a toilet seat 12. Toilet seat 12 is hinged to toilet stool 10 along its rear side 14. Toilet lid 16 is likewise mounted to toilet 10 along the hinged rear side 18. Toilet seat 12 and toilet lid 16 share a common hinge line.

A vent assembly indicated generally at 20 includes a vent 22 extending angularly in a generally rectangular configuration through toilet seat 12. Vent 22 extends from the inner lower edge 24 of seat 12 to the outer edge 26 of seat 12 in a generally upwardly, rearwardly and outwardly direction, see particularly FIGS. 1, 4, and 5. The intake end of rectangular vent 22 is recessed slightly from the innermost periphery 28 of seat 12. The vent takeoff portion 30 of vent 22 projects outwardly from the outer edge 26 of seat 12 and contains an extension of vent 22. Vent takeoff 30 terminates in conduit coupling portion 32 which provides a quick disconnect slip fit with flexible conduit 34. Flexible conduit 34 extends from conduit coupling portion 32 to suction side 38 of exhaust fan 36. Exhaust side 40 of exhaust fan 36 discharges into discharge conduit 42. Discharge conduit 42 discharges to some exterior location, not shown. A switch 44 is provided for the actuation of exhaust fan 36. Seat 12 has a generally wedgeshaped configuration with the thickest portion being adjacent hinged rear side 14 and the thinnest portion being at front side 46. The lower surface 48 of seat 12 is adapted to seal with rim 50 of toilet stool 10, when seat 12 is in the lowered configuration, depicted, for example, in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. In general, rim 50 and lower surface 48 are substantially coplanar so as to admit of their sealing to one another, whenever seat 12 is in the lowered configuration.

I claim:

1. In the combination with a toilet stool having a seat, one side of which is hingedly mounted above the rim of the stool whereby the seat seals with the rim of the stool to prevent the passage of air between the seat and the rim of the stool, a ventilating apparatus comprising:

a vent means extending from the inner lower edge of said seat rearwardly, outwardly and upwardly through said seat to the outer edge of said seat;

a flexible tubing means detachably mounted at one end to said vent means at the outer edge ofsaid seat;

an air exhaust means, the intake side of said air exhaust means being operatively connected to the other end of said flexible tubing means and the exhaust side of said air exhaust means being operatively connected to an air discharge means whereby air is drawn from within said toilet stool and is discharged at a location remote from said toilet stool.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a manually operable switch means for actuating the air exhaust means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the seat is generally thicker in cross section adjacent its hinged side so as to enclose the vent means and tapers to a thinner cross section adjacent its front side.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the seat is hinged so that in the lowered configuration the bottom surface of said seat is substantially parallel to and in continuous contact with the rim of the toilet stool.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower inner edge of said seat tapers downwardly and radially outwardly from the inner periphery of said seat.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the air exhaust means includes an exhaust fan.

7. A toilet seat, one side of which is adapted to be hingedly mounted above the rim of a toilet stool, comprising:

a vent means extending from the inner lower edge of said seat, rearwardly, outwardly and upwardly through said seat to the outer edge of said seat, said vent terminating at said outer edge in a conduit coupling portion adapted to detachably mount a flexible tubing means; and

a substantially planar surface defining the lower side ofsaid toilet seat and adapted to seal with the upper rim of a toilet stool to prevent the passage of air between the seat and the rim of the stool. 

1. In the combination with a toilet stool having a seat, one side of which is hingedly mounted above the rim of the stool whereby the seat seals with the rim of the stool to prevent the passage of air between the seat and the rim of the stool, a ventilating apparatus comprising: a vent means extending from the inner lower edge of said seat rearwardly, outwardly and upwardly through said seat to the outer edge of said seat; a flexible tubing means detachably mounted at one end to said vent means at the outer edge of said seat; an air exhaust means, the intake side of said air exhaust means being operatively connected to the other end of said flexible tubing means and the exhaust side of said air exhaust means being operatively connected to an air discharge means whereby air is drawn from within said toilet stool and is discharged at a location remote from said toilet stool.
 2. The combination of claim 1 including a manually operable switch means for actuating the air exhaust means.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the seat is generally thicker in cross section adjacent its hinged side so as to enclose the vent means and tapers to a thinner cross section adjacent its front side.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the seat is hinged so that in the lowered configuration the bottom surface of said seat is substantially parallel to and in continuous contact with the rim of the toilet stool.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lower inner edge of said seat tapers downwardly and radially outwardly from the inner periphery of said seat.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the air exhaust means includes an exhaust fan.
 7. A toilet seat, one side of which is adapted to be hingedly mounted above the rim of a toilet stool, comprising: a vent means extending from the inner lower edge of said seat, rearwardly, outwardly and upwardly through said seat to the outer edge of said seat, said vent terminating at said outer edge in a conduit coupling portion adapted to detachably mount a flexible tubing means; and a substantially planar surface defining the lower side of said toilet seat and adapted to seal with the upper rim of a toilet stool to prevent the passage of air between the seat and the rim of the stool. 